News Broadcasting
CCTV China – Autodesk tie-up for high-definition broadcasting
MUMBAI: China Central Television (CCTV), China’s largest national television network, has expanded its post-production pipeline with media and entertainment solutions from California-headquartered software and services company Autodesk Solutions.
This expansion enables CCTV to centralize its in-house broadcast graphics, offer high-definition (HD) programming, and prepare for the broadcasting of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. CCTV is using Autodesk’s solutions to help them realize their ideas for sophisticated promo packages, network IDs and show opens for CCTV channels, states an official release.
CCTV has relied on Autodesk’s Discreet Flint and Discreet Flame visual effects systems since 1994. The network’s post-production pipeline expansion includes the addition of two Discreet Flame systems and two Discreet Smoke editing and finishing systems, along with several seats of Autodesk Combustion desktop compositing software and Autodesk 3ds Max 3D animation software. Further workflow efficiencies are enabled by Autodesk Backdraft, a pipeline media management and input-output (I/O) solution.
“With each solution purchase, we must take into consideration both the current and future demands of graphics packages for an ever-increasing slate of programs,” director of Post Production at CCTV Cui Jian Wei said. “Reliability, productivity and flexibility are our main evaluation criteria. Autodesk’s solutions fit in with our existing workflow model and provide the capabilities and overall pipeline management to ease our expansion into HD production and our preparation for the Olympics, while allowing for a growing volume of content to be produced.”
The vast requirements of CCTV, among the most prolific producers of television content in China, include strong and flexible network management capabilities. Autodesk solutions meet these needs, providing scalable systems and software that can be employed together or separately, depending upon a project’s particular needs, the release adds.
“We have partnered with CCTV for more than ten years,” Autodesk Software (China) Co. president Dr. Jack Gao said. “CCTV is at the forefront of broadcast production in China, and we are honored that they continue to standardize on Autodesk systems and software as they expand and centralize their post-production infrastructure.”
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
